1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vision enhancement devices and methods for improving visual acuity, and, more particularly, to such vision enhancement devices and methods that provide bifocal and/or multifocal visual correction, and, most particularly, to vision enhancement devices as contact lenses and intraocular and other types of lens implants.
2. Description of Related Art
Bifocal contact lenses are known in the art for correcting distance (myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism) and near (presbyopia) vision. Three typical designs include aspheric, in which near and distance prescriptions are near the pupil; concentric, in which the near prescription is near the middle of the lens, and the distance prescription is on the outside, or vice versa; and translating, in which one prescription is in one part and the other correction is on another part of the lens. Distance or near vision is achieved by the appropriate portion of the lens overlapping the optical axis. In the concentric and aspheric designs, it is theorized that the overlapped images focused on the retina are differentiated by the wearer, although not all people can succeed in adapting to these designs.
It is also known to polarize contact lenses in order to reduce glare. In polarized lenses, light in one meridian is permitted to pass through while blocking light entering 90 degrees from the one meridian.
Further, intraocular lens implants and other types of implants such as intracorneal and intrastromal lens implants are known in the art for improving visual acuity.
It would be desirable to provide a vision enhancement device that diminishes and potentially eliminates overlapped images and blur circles to improve adaptability for a greater proportion of the population.